Grilled/Fried Butternut Squash

This is an oldie, but a goodie. The silly thing about it, is that i learned this recipe while living in Australia, loved it, and then made it for my folks, and then for my grandma when i lived with her a few years ago. Gramma Viv LOVES this squash.

Let me tell you about Gramma Viv. She loves cookies, sweets, and greasy chicken. She can't eat anything green, chocolatey, or really anything at all because of her evil stomach (which i've sadly inherited). But that doesn't stop her from indulging and being kept up all night with a bad case of gas, poor thing.

This squash recipe, however, fits the bill with Gramma Viv. She, over time, has lost the healthy details, and just makes it straight up fried squash with some olive oil and not much spice, in her cast iron pan. You could do that, it is delicious, but here's the original, un-gramma'd version. She just left me a voicemail mentioning how much she loves this squash - so i had to write it down for you all.

Grilled Butternut Squash
1 butternut squash, cut in half long ways, then sliced into thin half moons, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
oil (i use spray, non fat oil)
spices: salt, paprika, chilly powder, cayenne, pepper  -  really whatever you like. I like to do some pumpkin pie spice on one side, and cayenne and salt on the other - mix it up!

Heat pan to med- med/high. Spray with olive oil. Lay down as many squash as fit without overlapping in the pan.  Spray top with olive oil and season liberally, Heat til seared on one side with lid on the pan, flip, heat until soft through with lid on… store in oven on warm and repeat with entire squash. You can also do this on a propane grill if you're really careful - or even under the broiler in the oven.

            or if you're Gramma - just put a nice coating of olive oil in your cast iron skillet and fry those
           puppies up!

Serve with Asian sweet and spicy sauce, garlic mayonaise, or plain. The goal is to get the squash soft and wonderful in the middle and a little crispy on the outside - eat with skin on (or be finicky and strip it off like my mom does, but that's lame so don't do that)

Sorry, this picture is horrible and ancient. I told you this was an oldie!